Put away the Pineapple Express — if anything says summer’s over, it’s a movie called Frozen River. Written and directed by Courtney Hunt (her debut feature), this Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner takes us to a remote stretch of the New York–Quebec border where, come winter, there’s not much to do but wish you were elsewhere. Ray (Melissa Leo) works a go-nowhere job, her husband has taken off with the money for a new trailer, and everyone (the men, especially) she meets treats her like shit. It’s a bleak set-up. But that’s what it takes to induce this mother of two boys to join an equally shat-upon young Mohawk mom in transporting, across the frozen St. Lawrence, illegal aliens to the States. Their relationship is the film’s heart, as the two — who initially aren’t any kinder to each other than anyone else is — realize they share the same humble goal: to be able to give their families something they won’t lose. A cold film ends in a nice warm glow. 97 minutes | Kendall Square

A Date With John Waters Valentine’s Day, with its heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and colorful candy kisses, is right up filmmaker John Waters’s kitschy alley, not to mention a perfect candidate for the auteur’s obsession with incredibly strange music.

Shock value Moviegoers seeking release from the increasingly unavoidable escapism of superhero movies will find much to enjoy in the 11th Boston French Film Festival.

Shaw business The Shaw Brothers dominated Hong Kong film production in the ’60s and ’70s, and they produced not only martial-arts epics but also musicals, ghost stories, and melodramas.

Sound and silence The RISD exhibit reminds us that filmmakers at the forefront of the medium have been consistently drawn to the novelty of the medium.

Reel lives The 2006 Rhode Island International Film Festival is screening 282 films selected from more than 2000 submissions from more than 62 countries and 34 states. Watch the trailer for Sweet Dreams (flash)

REVIEW: EXTRACT | September 02, 2009 I'm hard-pressed to say, though, whether Extract is a significant leap forward for Judge in terms of story or just not as funny as his earlier work.

SOUL MEN | November 05, 2008 Mac especially is a joy to watch, and a counterpoint to the humor elsewhere, as he breaks out Temptations-style moves with just the right mix of sly fun and respect for the music.

FILTH AND WISDOM | October 27, 2008 As the lead character narrates his “filthy” story, and those of his London flatmates/neighbors, we hit upon boredom long before wisdom can arrive.

CITY OF EMBER | October 15, 2008 Kids who see the truth when adults cannot is a central idea in children’s stories, but today’s kids would hardly recognize the grown-ups in Ember’s totalitarian society.

IGOR | September 16, 2008 Nothing like walking out of a theater with your kid asking, “Daddy, what is suicide?”